1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-cushion vehicle toy.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Air-cushion vehicle toys such as Hovercraft toys are supported aloft by a downward air thrust and propelled forward by a rearward air thrust. Such an air-cushion vehicle toy has a base comprising a chassis which supports thereon a propelling fan, a drive motor for the propelling fan, a hovering fan, a drive motor for the hovering fan, a battery as a power supply for the drive motors, and other members. These components mounted on the chassis are covered with a body mounted on the chassis. The body has an air inlet and an air outlet, each in the form of slits or a hole with a grid. To produce efficient propelling forces, the propelling fan generally comprises a large-size propeller fan of the exposed type. The lower surface of the chassis has a skirt extending along the peripheral edge thereof, for guiding the air thrust from the hovering fan downwardly.
When the body is removed from the chassis for battery replacement or other servicing, the battery and other components are exposed. If the control switch is turned on by mistake at this time, or if a new battery is connected while the control switch is being turned on, then the propeller fan is energized, causing the toy to move around. When this happens, it not easy to turn off the control switch.
The propeller fan and the hovering fan are directly connected to the shafts of their motors, respectively, and the motors are installed on the chassis. Each of the motors is installed on the chassis by an attachment seat on the chassis and an attachment member which holds the motor down on the attachment seat. The attachment member has both ends screwed to the chassis. The motors can be mounted on or dismounted from the chassis when the attachment members are fastened or released by tightening or loosening the screws.
The structure by which the motors are installed on the chassis thus includes small elements such as the screws and their washers, and hence is composed of a large number of parts, can only be assembled in a relatively complex process and over a long period of time, and, as a result, is relatively highly costly. If the existing motors are to be replaced with motors of higher power requirements in order to modify the air-cushion vehicle toy, then tools such as screwdrivers are needed to tighten and loosen the screws, and the screws and washers tend to be lost.
With the conventional air-cushion vehicle toy, the air thrust which is directed downwardly by the skirt does not produce well-balanced floating or hovering forces. Therefore, when the air-cushion vehicle toy is in operation, it is apt to be tilted, bringing one side of the toy into contact with the surface of water underneath the toy, so that the toy cannot run as desired, or the toy tends to lose stability when lifted aloft.
The present invention has been made in an effort to effectively solve the aforesaid problems of the conventional air-cushion vehicle toy.